The indefinite postponement of the Indian Science Congress (ISC) – an annual gathering of scientists, students and policymakers from all over the country – is a big setback for the cause of science. This is an unprecedented development because the premier event has been a regular fixture in January, with the prime minister’s customary address, since 1941. The cancellation of the event this year follows the Centre’s decision to stop funding the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA), a private professional body which organises the five-day programme. The science & technology department, which funds the event, has made allegations of financial irregularities against the ISCA’s members and dissociated itself from the event that has traditionally showcased the country’s achievements in various scientific fields. For decades, the ISC used to be a prestigious event where the who’s who of the Indian scientific community would gather to discuss the latest scientific developments.
The highly bureaucratized and patronage-driven science administration needs urgent reforms. Critical thinking and innovative ideas need to be fostered and encouraged. Poor spending on research and development has been the bane of Indian science. It needs to be corrected if the country wants to make a major mark at the global level. The ISC has, over the years, become a prisoner of clichés with dignitaries churning out the same speeches year after year. The differences cropped up between the government and the ISCA a few years ago. Things worsened in September last year when the DST directed the ISCA not to use government funds for the science congress, after which the organisers went to court, alleging government’s interference in its functioning. There is a need for urgent reformation so that the Indian Science Congress can make a grand return at the earliest.